WORLD BRIEFING; Vatican City: Sudan Leader Vows Cease-Fire

By IAN FISHER

Published: September 15, 2007

Meeting with Pope Benedict XVI and Italian leaders, President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan promised a cease-fire with rebels before a peace conference next month in Darfur aimed at ending a conflict that has claimed more than 200,000 lives there. Mr. Bashir's government is accused by human rights groups of killing civilians and violating past cease-fires.